Is there a law to protect Sudanese children? USA and Somalia not part of UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Here's a thought: couldn't a law be found to force the warring parties at the Darfur peace talks to agree a ceasefire in order to immediately protect the basic rights of Sudanese children - the right not to be cold or hungry and the right to be protected from harm?

The idea occurred to me as I read an email just in from Jen Tabbal at SOS Children's Villages asking us to help spread the word about the effort to protect children's rights around the world.

SOS Children's Villages is an international nonprofit organisation nominated 14 times for the Nobel Peace Prize for their work to help orphaned and abandoned children.

They are gathering petition signatures to urge the U.S. government to ratify a UN document that protects the safety and well-being of children. Every day, children around the world suffer from hunger and homelessness, diseases and abuse, neglect and exploitation. All children deserve basic rights - the right not to be cold or hungry and the right to be protected from harm.

Will you consider linking to or posting on SOS Children's Villages - USA? You can also put up one of their banners which can be found by clicking here.




Just to give you a little background, the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international agreement that requires signing countries to protect the basic rights of children.

SOS Children's Villages - USA Mission's goal is to gather 25,000 petition signatures to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urging the U.S. to join the 192 countries that have already ratified the Convention (it's shameful that the only countries yet to ratify the Convention are the United States and Somalia).

With your help, they can achieve our goal of 25,000 signatures and move in the right direction to protect the rights of children.